Rice and Ramen

You know what has been one of my favorite items to have at college?

My rice cooker.

As I type this, I’m actually eating rice and studying thermodynamics. It’s a party.

I enjoy making rice… it’s easy and cheap. A good college student meal. Like ramen noodles. Haha

I always have a bottle of low sodium soy sauce on hand but you can also add some seaweed, vegetables, fried egg, ect. You can pretty much add whatever you like to rice. It’s a pretty blank slate.

I’ve just finished my first full week of my 4th year of college. I can already tell it’s going to be a… busy semester.

I’m excited and slightly dreading it all at the same time.

Another semester… here I come. Or should I say… here you come.

 

 

 

Soda Pop

Uff da… I haven’t posted in over two weeks!

I really do need to get more organized when it comes to running this blog.

This week is Spring Break! Which means the last two weeks were like the final stretch of a race. Your legs feel like they are about to give out from under you… yet you are trying to sprint to the finish line. I’ve made it.

Two weeks ago, I got a letter from the Jones Soda Company saying that one of my photos was chosen to be on the label of their soda bottles! I thought that was pretty cool… considering all I did was upload a couple photos to their website and then forget they were there.

I took this photo [of the moon] over the summer. I sat in the yard with the lens zoomed out as far as it would go and pointing towards the sky for about 1 to 1.5 hours. Now, it is somewhere out there on a soda bottle.

Somewhere out there…

Now, time to go work on a circuits project.

 

Sailing the Ship

I saw this GIF the other day and just sat there staring at it for a while. I’m a junior in college, at least with credit hours. In my major (Mechatronics Engineering) I’m still a sophomore.  Either way, I’ve been here two and a half years already. I’m not completely sure about the “junior” and “senior” parts of this GIF but the first two parts have been so true. Freshman year was very much like sailing in the breeze… new experiences, new people… freedom. Then, all of sudden, your boat starts taking in water. You have this moment of “oh no, what have I done?” There  are more responsibilities, more homework, more deadlines, and changes in relationships. Sometimes, it feels like you are constantly trying to prevent your boat from sinking. You are just trying to stay afloat. Hopefully the next two years aren’t too much like the GIF… Haha.

college in a nutshell

This video also made me laugh the other day. I may have just been sleep deprived… or remember back to when I was learning a new program language but I couldn’t stop. I especially love the following part:

“Let’s try it, I’m good at coding. What, are you kidding me, what could be wrong?”

“You forgot a colon.”

This has happened way to many times to me while working on my programs. It always seemed to be a silly mistake too… like forgetting a colon.

I feel your pain…

I also thought this kid was way too cute. Good luck figuring out life in general, little friend. Have a great Valentine’s Day weekend, everyone. Sending much love your way!

A Week in a Day

It’s funny how fast times goes… how fast it slips through your hands.

It’s been over a week since I last posted… uffdah.

I’ve been working on time management. It feels like a constant battle, really.

Not only managing school work… but realizing that I need to make time for things other than studying. One of the more important things I have learned about college in the pass two and a half years is how much you need a balance between work and play. I still struggle with this balance.

It can be difficult to juggle studying, working, friends, family, sleep, food, and time for yourself (in no order of importance).

I’ve gotten to the point many times in the last couple years where I have forgotten this balance and become over stressed… which I’m sure shows a little through these blog posts.

The thing I most often forget is to take time for myself.

When you are constantly being stimulated by school and work stress… even people stress… it’s important to take time to just sit back and do something you enjoy doing by yourself.

Lately, since I have been trying to stop picking my nails, I’ve gotten into painting my nails again. Last semester, I tried to crochet… but have left my yarn and hook at home for a bit.

Even this blog is a way to take some time for myself…get my thoughts and ideas down somewhere.

It feels like I’ve been running non-stop every weekday… 7:30am to 11:30pm… but it’s all the more reason to look forward to the weekend.

Take care of yourselves, everyone.

 

 

 

 

New Semester…Here I Come

I just finished my first three days of class.

It’s just the beginning of a new semester.

Since UNCA classes have not started yet, it’s been quiet on campus.

My study group has been trying to get organized… writing down all our assignments in planners, getting notebooks together, and getting a head start on homework.

I decided to take a picture of February because it is so colorful…

So many colors… oh boy…

Spring 2016… here I come.

The “Smarter” I Become…

Some days, it feels like the more I learn in school… the less I actually know.

I begin to realize, I know nothing.

It feels like my brain cells are frying in their own knowledge.

Has anyone else ever felt like their brain is just about to explode?

It feels like the more “school knowledge” I gain… the less “common sense knowledge” I have.

Or maybe I never really had that knowledge and I’m just now realizing it….

As Albert Einstein once put it… “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”

Maybe that is what’s happening to me… I’m just realizing what I do not know.

This morning was my last “performance” in ballet.

Or… the last time we danced to my teachers”Say Something” choreography.

It’s been nice having a non-academic class.

Probably the only class I will miss next semester.

I think I’m going to have a cup of mint tea and relax with my new heating pad after work… that sounds good.

Relax, it’s Tea Time.

Last night, Torey and I went to Dobra Tea in Downtown Asheville, NC.

Above, is a picture of the two teas we shared… I know it looks like a lot on the tiny table.

(Ignore me slouching in the background.)

It’s always interesting to try the teas at Dobra… it’s often very relaxing.

This one is called a Yerba Mate and comes in what looks like a little gourd.

It is said to contain quite a bite of caffeine and I found it quite bitter and strong.

Still an interesting drink to try… definitely something that you want to sit and sip.

The other one we tried was the Ya Boa, a wild tea from China that had a very mild, fresh taste.

Here is a picture (from whisperingpinestea.com) of the Ya Boa tea.

This is what is contained in the little brown pots pictured next to the glass pots full of boiling water in the first picture.

It’s nice to be able to relax a little bit after such a long, stressful week.

Last night, I also attended a career fair put on by UNCA’s section of IEEE and listened to representatives from different companies talk about what to do for interviews and in life after getting a job in engineering.

(I forgot to take a picture while the career fair was happening… so here is it after the fact.)

Many of the speakers stressed the importance of making time to just relax.

Sometimes, with everything going on in school, work, and life in general… it is easy to forget to just take time to relax and de-stress.

It’s crucial to not only relax but realize the importance of relaxing. When you look back on how little work you got done during a certain time period… don’t think “oh my gosh… I should have been working! I have screwed up everything! I’m going to fail that test now because I wasn’t studying! I’m never going to graduate now! I messed everything up by taking that 2 hour break…” (Yes… it happens.)

Instead, think about how much you probably needed that extra rest… think about the quality time you got to spend with love ones… think about how you needed to press that reset button and clear your mind a little.

I’m not saying to be in a constant state of relaxing but to make sure to find the needed balance between work and play.

Still, I know it can be difficult to remember to breath when it seems you need to constantly be running around… but sometimes you need to just stop, sip some tea, and breath.

Don’t try to rush everything… you’ll end up burning your tongue.

If you want to check out Dobra Tea… here is a link to their website:

http://www.dobrateanc.com/

Take care of yourselves, everyone.

You can do it!

Remember… No matter what comes your way… whether it is school, family, friends, a relationship, a job…

YOU CAN DO IT!

You are one of a kind.

Each one of us bring something a little different to the table.

Each one of us changes the world into what it will be in the future.

Go out and conquer the day… or make peace with it… whichever you choose.

Have a great first day of class, my fellow Bulldogs!

Here we go again…

I’m headed back up to college today.

Back to a different schedule… it’s time to shed the summer mindset.

I’m headed back a day or two early since I have on-campus job training this weekend.

I’m ready to see friends and get back into the school routine…

Even though I will miss everyone back home very much.

I’m also ready to live in a new residence hall!

Here I come linear algebra, statics, computer programming, circuits… and ballet.